“The Church seeks to enable every person to live out the universal call to holiness. Persons with a homosexual inclination ought to receive every aid and encouragement to embrace this call personally and fully. This will unavoidably involve much struggle and self-mastery, for following Jesus always means following the way of the Cross... The Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Penance are essential sources of consolation and aid on this path."

COURAGE:

Support Groups for those with same-sex attraction

Courage is a support group that ministers to those with same-sex attractions and their loved ones. Find a Courage chapter near you. They also have an outreach called EnCourage, which ministers to relatives and friends of persons with same-sex attractions. Find an EnCourage chapter near you.

The Third Way:

Homosexuality and the Catholic Church

"Male and Female He Created Them..."

In June of 2019, the Congregation for Catholic Education of the Vatican published “Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender theory in education." The document reaffirms the Church's position on the danger of gender ideology and the importance of fostering Christian anthropology that better affirms the nature of humanity as created by God.

They write:

"The first step in this process of throwing light on anthropology consists in recognizing that 'man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will.' This is the fulcrum on which to support a human ecology that moves from the 'respect for our dignity as human beings' and from the necessary relationship of our life to 'moral law, which is inscribed into our nature.'"

Recommended Reading

Why I Don't Call Myself Gay: How I Reclaimed My Sexual Reality and Found Peace

"In this frank memoir, [Daniel] Mattson chronicles his journey to and from a gay identity, finding peace in his true identity, as a man, made in the image and likeness of God. Part autobiography, part philosophy of life, and part a practical guide in living chastely, the book draws lessons from Mattson's search for inner freedom and integrity, sharing wisdom from his failures and successes. His lifelong search for happiness and peace comes full circle in his realization that, above all else, what is true about him is that he is a beloved son of God, loved into existence by God, created for happiness in this life and the next. Mattson's book is for anyone who has ever wondered who he is, why he is here, and, in the face of suffering, where to find joy, happiness, and the peace that surpasses all understanding."

Made for Love: Same-Sex Attraction and the Catholic Church

He begins by giving background information regarding the different worldviews of the human person, the philosophical ideas of nature and purpose, the differences between objective and subjective truth, the principle of non-contradiction, and the fallen human nature that resulted from Original Sin. He then discusses in great detail the nature and ends of human sexuality and the nature of true love, while, in a compassionate and non-judgmental way, explaining the flawed nature of same-sex "sexual" relations."

"Ryan T. Anderson offers a balanced approach to the policy issues, a nuanced vision of human embodiment, and a sober and honest survey of the human costs of getting human nature wrong...

Everyone has something at stake in today’s debates about gender identity. Analyzing education and employment policies, Obama-era bathroom and locker-room mandates, politically correct speech codes and religious-freedom violations, Anderson shows how the law is being used to coerce and penalize those who believe the truth about human nature. And he shows how Americans can begin to push back with principle and prudence, compassion and grace."